Amaterro System, Gaia Planet Amat Eiro II, 4:04 p.m. stellar time.
The M'tok Ambassador returned to the Embassy with two attendants, looking thoroughly refreshed.
"Welcome back, Ambassador," Kabulosius said, sitting on the sofa and looking at his wristband without raising his head.
"Mm."
The M'tok Ambassador closed the door behind him. His two attendants quietly left through a corridor to one side, leaving only the ambassador and the elderly Kabulosius in the hall.
"Still working?"
The M'tok Ambassador came in and sat in his designated seat.
Kabulosius scratched at his headdress, looking troubled. "Yes, I'm still working through the negotiation terms. I've consulted the Union, and their position is firm."
"We must demand that the Interstellar Human Military Junta grant us passage rights—but enough about that. Did you learn anything, Ambassador?"
The M'tok Ambassador casually picked up a snack from the table-a piece of brass ore-and popped it into his mouth. "Nothing worth noting."
"Oh, the ore the humans provided tastes pretty good."
"We did enjoy a massage provided by the humans, though. Their technique was decent, but they weren't nearly forceful enough."
The M'tok Ambassador chewed the ore. His heavy stone mouth crushed it into fragments, which rattled as he swallowed them into his digestive system.
"A massage?" Kabulosius looked bewildered.
"Yes. They gathered around us with hammers and kept pounding away," the towering stone person said unconcernedly.
Kabulosius tugged hard at his sparse hair. "Wait a moment. Doesn't that sound wrong?"
Was this even a legitimate massage?
"Let me ask you something. Did you make any aggressive movements or say anything unfriendly?"
Kabulosius fixed all four eyes on the M'tok Ambassador.
"No. I did absolutely nothing, just like a real rock," the M'tok Ambassador answered sincerely.
"I hope so. And I hope we don't get any worse news."